How did you become a doggies fan?

[Bornadog]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Alot of kids usually like Tigers and thats why I believe they have one of the biggest supporter bases, but fickle and dissappear when they are losing.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

My father's family were all Bulldogs. My mother's family were all Richmond. My grandfather's tried to out-do each other so I had full kits of both Bulldogs (Ted Whitten's no. 3) and Richmond (Roger Dean no. 3) gear.

D Day. 26th August 1972.

Footscray v Richmond at the Western Oval.

We had been ordinary for years and Richmond were about to start a run of 3 grand finals in a row (the first in about 5 weeks time).

Both grandfathers in attendance.

Richmond kick 10 goals in the first quarter and I'm committed to Richmond for life.

Half time and Richmond are still in control.

Richmond kick 2.8 in the 3rd and Footscray are crawling back into it.

Ian Salmon stuffs up and my Dad yells out "for #@*% sake Salmon, get back in your can". The first time I ever heard my Dad swear. Ian Salmon instantly becomes my favourite player.

Footscray kick 4.7 in the last to Richmond's 1.5 but Richmond hold on to win by 2 pts.

Walking back to the car I tell my Dad, "I like the Bulldogs, they don't give up".

Bad luck, Pop. Take your Tiges and shove 'em up your ...

[LostDoggy]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Alot of kids usually like Tigers and thats why I believe they have one of the biggest supporter bases, but fickle and dissappear when they are losing.

Actually yes, I had an obsession with Tigers, the animal as a child. So when one day I asked Dad who was playing the footy, he said something like
"Tigers and the Crows" or something.
I loved Tigers, so I told him "Dad I go for Tigers. I love Tigers" (Those horrible words came out of my naive, five-year old mouth!)

Two years later, we (THE DOGGIES, not Richmond, ergh) were onto a finals campaign,
Dad took me along to a Bulldogs game, stuck his scarf on my head and that was it, I was converted.

I always deny I ever went for Richmond. I was five, it lasted about less than two years, that doesnt count if you just liked the animal, right?

[LostDoggy]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

I always deny I ever went for Richmond. I was five, it lasted about less than two years, that doesnt count if you just liked the animal, right?

It was a terrible time in your life you were under 7 you liked the animal and saw a team that had the animal as their mascot you then realised it was wrong, so you saw the error of your ways and then became a bulldogs supporter.

[LardDog]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Like many I was born into it. My parents grew up in Yarraville / Maidestone so I never had a choice. Growing up in Bendigo I think I was about the only kid (other than my brothers) that barracked for the Dogs, it seemed everyone followed the Dons, Hawks or Blues back then. But the thought of barracking for any other team has never crossed my mind.

[LostDoggy]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Its interesting to know how people become a fan of the doggies. Is it because the family follows the club? Is it due to being born in the general area, or is it because a friend convinced you when you were a kid. Why do you follow the Dogs?

I was born in Footscray and my father began taking me to games when I was around 4 years old. My Father had migrated to Australia in the early fifties and started following the dogs along with his cousins and mates that had come out with him. I remember going to the Western Oval as a little kid and I suppose I just stuck with the team, even thou some kids at school tried to make me change to another team. My daughter is now a doggies supporter, I wouldn't have it any other way.

These days I live in the East side of town. I was talking to one of my daughters friends father who lives in Balwyn and to my surprise he follows the dogs, so I inmmediately thought he was born into it. When I quized him, he said when he was a kid he liked the colours?

So, how did you become a doggies fan?

Your name says it all for me

[Crizza]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Mine is so lame, I liked dogs as a boy so went for the dogs. Simple.

I wasn't the most passionate fan until I was 10, basketball was my thing, and one day I was sick and went to work with Mum, who worked for adidas.

My mum introduced me to Ted who gave me his bone crushing hand shake and asked me who I went for. I told Ted ' Bulldogs' and as I was picking my self up from the ground holding my sore throbbing hand, EJ handed me a doggies jumper and said 'stick it up em Son'.

The Passion took off after that day!

[southerncross]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Mine is so lame, I liked dogs as a boy so went for the dogs. Simple.

I wasn't the most passionate fan until I was 10, basketball was my thing, and one day I was sick and went to work with Mum, who worked for adidas.

My mum introduced me to Ted who gave me his bone crushing hand shake and asked me who I went for. I told Ted ' Bulldogs' and as I was picking my self up from the ground holding my sore throbbing hand, EJ handed me a doggies jumper and said 'stick it up em Son'.

The Passion took off after that day!

I can't agree that is a lame story when in fact it's one of the best I have read. From what I have heard Teddy was the greatest at turning people into Bulldog supporters. Could you imagine him working from the membership office now phoning all those who hadn't signed up again? I couldn't see him taking no for an answer.

[Crizza]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

I can't agree that is a lame story when in fact it's one of the best I have read. From what I have heard Teddy was the greatest at turning people into Bulldog supporters. Could you imagine him working from the membership office now phoning all those who hadn't signed up again? I couldn't see him taking no for an answer.

Ted was amazing when it came to his passion. I met him several times after that, my hand shudders at the memory of bone crushing hand shakes. But he was also so pumped up and so into the Dogs.

I don't think he would have heard 'no' too many times old Ted.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Started barracking for the dogs in about grade 1 at school. Asked her to buy me a dogs jumper. She trotted off to forges to get it. When she got home she told me they had run out so here was a Fitzroy jumper instead.

Being about 7 l took the jumper and became a fitzroy supporter. Followed them up to the merger and even tried to follow brisbane for a season or 2. It just did not feel right.

My brother and l had a bit of talk and decided it was time to jump ship. As we were from the western suburbs and still had a big soft spot for dogs we moved back to where we should have been all along.

Got my first membership in 2001. Had few kids and convinced them that the dogs were the only team. Bought a famliy membership a few years later and got my wife to dump the Roos and join the dogs so she could be part of the family and not an outcast.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Started barracking for the dogs in about grade 1 at school. Asked her to buy me a dogs jumper. She trotted off to forges to get it. When she got home she told me they had run out so here was a Fitzroy jumper instead.

Being about 7 l took the jumper and became a fitzroy supporter. Followed them up to the merger and even tried to follow brisbane for a season or 2. It just did not feel right.

My brother and l had a bit of talk and decided it was time to jump ship. As we were from the western suburbs and still had a big soft spot for dogs we moved back to where we should have been all along.

Got my first membership in 2001. Had few kids and convinced them that the dogs were the only team. Bought a famliy membership a few years later and got my wife to dump the Roos and join the dogs so she could be part of the family and not an outcast.

Great story and I am glad you saw the light.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Simple really. Being 5 years old and told you won't get fed if you don't barrack for the Dogs clinched the deal.

[Bornadog]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Asked her to buy me a dogs jumper.

When I was five we moved to Barkley st (1961 the last time we played a GF), just a drop kick from the ground and I really wanted a jumper. My parents who had migrated from Europe, had some local friends who were originally from Tassie and one day had come over to visit us. Gene was a very good knitter and wanted to knit me a jumper. I asked her to knit me a football jumper and of course wanted a doggies one. I think she had no idea about footy, but to please me agreed to knit one. A few weeks later she came over to present me with the new jumper and to my surprise the stripes were around the wrong way, ie white and red on blue. As a six year old, what could I say, I knew it was wrong, but I still wore it to every home game, with the big number three on the back. I think I got a few funny stares at the footy, but no one really cared seeing a five year wearing that jumper.

[Bulldogs_6]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Funny story actually.
My dad, brother and mum are saints and my sister is a docker, and my dad always thought i was well suited as a bulldog because he thought i looked tough as a kid
one year he went to melbourne when i was like 2 and brought me a bulldogs scarf and it has stuck ever since. Never looked back

[Eastdog]

Re: How did you become a doggies fan?

Here is my story not the best in the world

I mainly grew up in the eastern suburbs. It was a match I went to back in 2001 on a Friday night when I was 12 years old. It was us playing Melbourne at the MCG. Anyway that night we won by 5 goals and had a great win and ever since then I've been a loyal Bulldog and the only one in my family.